U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she will introduce a bill that will require the military to permanently preserve records of sexual assault cases.

This bill will assist victims of military sexual assault and trauma who might not immediately report the case, but need benefits and treatment afterwards, said the Star Tribune.

The Minnesota Democrat said that the military has reported over 3,000 sexual assaults in 2009, which was up 11 percent from 2008, in a WQOW News report.

Military Sexual Trauma has become a big issue within the military since more women have been joining the military. As much as 21 percent of women tested by the military in 2008 were found to have been victims of MST.

Klobuchar said the bill requires little funding since military documents are already kept digitally.

The bill has received strong bipartisan support and is only a small stepping stone in the effort to prevent MST.